Letter: An imagined conversation

Overheard in the locker room of the old courthouse between sessions of the regular monthly meeting:

“Hey, I have an idea that will get us more revenue.” “What’s that?” “Well, we can impose a tax on the most fragile businesses in town, call it a food tax.” “Sounds good, how does it work?” It’s simple, all we do is add 4 percent to the bill of all prepared foods; so restaurants, and delis, and fast food places, and church suppers, and lemonade stands will collect another $300,000 a year in food taxes for us.”

“Do, you think the people of the county will like that idea?” “Well, if we disguise it as something that only tourists and visitors will be paying, and rich people who go out to eat, then put it on the ballot next November and have them vote on it in the election, I think it will pass. Then we will be off the hook because the voters did it to themselves.” “Hmmmm, that might just work; what will we do with the added money we collect?” “Who knows, we can just throw it in the General Fund, we’ll figure out something to spend it on later, maybe a grant, or a special project, or something that we didn’t plan for in the first place; the school budget could always use it.”

“I like it, let’s try it, I’ll propose it, you second it, the others will go along; they always do. Then we can put an article in the Gazette-Journal and see if there’s any reaction in the Letters to the Editor section.” “What’s next on today’s agenda after the break?” “We’re supposed to listen to a presentation on budget preparation.” “How boring!”